WBS Penguins win fifth straight, beat Phantoms in long-awaited return home

WILKES-BARRE TWP. — The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins let the opportunities presented by their longest extended homestand of the season go to waste.

Back at Mohegan Sun Arena for the first time since, the Penguins got their second-longest homestand off to a much different start.

Jake Lucchini scored two goals and Casey DeSmith made 29 saves Friday night as the Penguins handled the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4-1 in a game between Atlantic Division teams trying to work their way into playoff position as the AHL heats back up after the all-star break.

The Penguins looked like a different team than the one that lost the first five games of a stretch of six straight home games that started on the last day of 2019 and continued through Jan. 11.

After nearly three weeks away for a six-game road trip to Texas and North Carolina, followed by the all-star break, the Penguins are back, ending January by beginning a stretch of five home games in eight nights.

And, now they are streaking in a different direction with five straight wins along with being unbeaten in regulation through six games.

“I thought we looked better tonight than some of the games on the road,” Penguins coach Mike Vellucci said. “We played well in Charlotte for spurts, but tonight we played very well for 60 minutes.

“We did a lot of good things.”

The Penguins struck twice in 46 seconds for a 2-0 lead 7:20 in and never trailed.

Lucchini’s individual effort produced the game’s first goal, then he capitalized on a nice set-up by defenseman David Warsofsky for the only goal of the second period and a 3-1 lead.

“That first goal was a big one and the second goal was a great play by Warsofsky,” Vellucci said.

Warsofsky moved from the left point, around one man and down the slot, drawing the attention of several Phantoms. He sent a pass to an open Lucchini on the right wing and Lucchini was quick to capitalize.

“Off the faceoff, we were just trying to get it back to the point,” Lucchini said. “(Warsofsky) made a really good play and two guys went to him.

“I kind of saw it coming and he saw the two guys coming at him and made a really nice pass. I just tried to get a one-timer off as quick as I could.”

Lucchini’s first goal came when he stole the puck as Lehigh Valley tried to clear its own zone. He rushed down the left side, beat a defenseman and scored.

Jan Drozg made it 2-0 when he tracked down a rebound below the goal line, but shot the puck in off the back of goaltender Jean-Francois Berube.

The last Penguins goal, by Sam Lafferty, 53 seconds into the third period, knocked Berube out of the game.

• At 23-16-3-4, the Penguins have now won as many games as they lost.

• Lucchini, DeSmith and Drozg were the game’s first, second and third stars.

• The Penguins are back on home ice Saturday against Bridgeport. They play their three nearest rivals in four nights, Binghamton Wednesday, then Hershey and Lehigh Valley next weekend.

• Wyoming Valley West’s PIAA Class 2A state championship field hockey team was honored during the first intermission.

• Friday was the first of the Penguins’ post-game concert series, introduced this season. Proud Monkey, a tribute to the Dave Matthews Band, played. The game drew a paid crowd of 6,201.

• The Penguins added right wing Brandon Hawkins from the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL Friday during the day, but he did not dress.

• Top scorers Andrew Agozzino and Anthony Angello were called up to the parent Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday and played against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night. It was Angello’s first career NHL game.

Penguins 4, Lehigh Valley 1

Lehigh Valley`1`0`0`—`1

Penguins`2`1`1`—`4

First period — 1, Penguins, Lucchini 5 (Bellerive), 6:34; 2, Penguins, Drozg 3 (Blandisi, Joseph), 7:20; 3, Lehigh Valley, Andreoff 6 (Criscuolo), 12:17. Penalties — Lafferty, Penguins (high sticking), 7:21; Wotherspoon, Lehigh Valley (tripping), 9:55, Czuczman, Penguins (cross checkint), 15:43.

Second period — 4, Penguins, Lucchini 6 (Warsofsky, Devane), 7:34. Penalties — None.

Third period — 5, Penguins, Lafferty 3 (Lizotte, Cassels), 0:53. Penalties — Almari, Penguins (tripping), 10:50; Frost, Lehigh Valley (tripping), 18:58.

Shots on goal — Lehigh Valley 11-10-9-30. Penguins 9-16-9—34.

Power-play opportunities — Hartford 0 of 3; Penguins 0 of 2.

— Lehigh Valley, Berube 9-9-4 (27 shots-23 saves, 40:53); Sandstrom 0-0-0 (7 shots-7 saves, 19:07). Penguins, DeSmith 15-11-2 (30 shots-29 saves)

— Jim Curtin, Sean MacFarlane. — Ben O’Quinn, Patrick Dapuzzo.

— 6,201.